Massage therapist accused of sexually assaulting client

A massage therapist is charged with sexual assault amid accusations of crossing the line with a paying customer. It happened at the Scripa Wellness Center on Washington near Houston Avenue.

The wellness center was closed for business on Monday and the owner is nowhere to be found. We talked to an employee who was working the day of the incident and she's not convinced the accuser is telling the truth.

The Scripa Wellness Center bills itself as the place to experience the benefits of professional massage therapy.

"I didn't think he would have a lot of business to begin with, but it seems like he would get 10, 20 people a day," a neighbor said.

Last month, a female customer claims she got more than she bargained for after she was led into a room and told to disrobe and lay down on the massage table. Prosecutors say 53-year-old Ken Scripa, a licensed massage therapist, inappropriately touched her while exposing himself.

"I don't know of any words that were exchanged except for once the sexual assault occurred, she did tell him to stop," Assistant Harris County District Attorney Donna Logan said.

According to court documents, the woman stated she was "suddenly surprised, offended and shocked" and "sat up and shouted, 'Oh no you don't!'" Investigators say she later identified Scripa in a photo lineup. He's been charged with sexual assault and has since hired an attorney.

No one answered the door at Scripa's Montrose-area apartment. The wellness center that bears his name on Washington Avenue was dark, too. One of his employees, who does not want to be identified, says she's not buying the woman's story.

"I don't believe it's true, simply because I was here. I'm an employee here. I work here. My room is literally right next door to his. I could hear anything that happened. I didn't hear anything," she said.

Scripa posted a $30,000 bond. He has a previous conviction for misdemeanor DWI in 1997.